How to Avoid Workplace Drama

How to Avoid Workplace Drama is one of the best written articles I have read.

How To Avoid Workplace Drama

While we must follow Christ’s command to love we can also take some pro-active measures which are based on common sense.

NO MORE DRAMA!!!

Love Lee ♥

Color Your World

Nov18

Color does have a physical effect on the human body. Color has a profound influence on the pituitary gland, which helps regulate hormone production. Hormones can affect our moods, so it makes sense that color would, too. But it can also be used to change our moods.

As for me…I love to surround myself a slight off white and accessorize with a variety of color which would lend to balance in my life. In each room of my home you will find something with each of the colors below except gray. Gray is probably my least favorite color! Gray causes me to feel down, drab, and drained.

Autumn while filled with vibrant colors is often a little on the gloomy side for me because all those beautiful colors are covered with a drab gray sky and a lack of sunshine which can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

It is also in Autumn people begin to pull out their blankets and seasonal decorations in efforts to get “cozy” for the winter. They put away their bright cheery items and settle in for the winter totally unaware of the effect it has on their mood.

I challenge you to take note of your surroundings and take control of your mood by incorporating color!

Effect of Color on Emotions

Red is all about energy and vitality, but it can also indicate anger. And of course it’s associated with sexuality as well. Pink, though, can provide a sense of being cared for; it’s more about nurturing and maternal love.

Orange is stimulating, good for times when we just can’t seem to get started with something. Its lighter version, peach, may be useful for exhaustion due to stress.

Yellow is good for mental activities like reasoning and analysis. It can promote self-confidence and is helpful in situations when you need to be more optimistic.

Green tends to make most people think of nature, since so much of the natural world is green. It’s about connections – with nature, or with our fellow humans. It’s also good for general stress, since it can help balance emotions.

Blue is soothing and relaxing. It can stimulate creativity. Light blue can denote quiet, and dark blue can be sedating. But too much dark blue can be depressing.

Purple is related to imagination, intuition, and insight. In some situations it can also be very peaceful.

White is definitely about peace. But it’s also associated with purity, which makes it good for “cleansing” – which could mean purification, or maybe just clarification.

Black may make some people think of depression, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a very dramatic color; many artists wear nothing but black. It can denote mystery, something hidden – or maybe an introvert who’s been around crowds too long could use it to “hide” from people. In this sense, it can be a very protecting color.

Gray is a common color for business suits, and in those instances it can indicate independence, self-control, and self-confidence. But some color specialists think it’s also about ambiguity and indecision; after all, it isn’t black, and it isn’t white, either.

Brown is the color of earth, and be just as “grounding.” It’s good for introducing stability to an otherwise insecure situation. But too much of it can take stability to its extreme – stagnation.

I Challenge You To Color Your World!!!

Love Lee ♥

Establishing Boundaries

Sep19

Until you learn how to say “no” you will never be able to fully say “yes”.

Unless you know how to set boundaries to form your safe space, you will always be concerned that saying “yes” might put you in danger. So you will always pull back a little from saying “yes” with your whole heart. Paradoxically, knowing how to say “no” ans to form boundaries gives much more power to your “yes”

I have spent most of my life doing what everyone expected me to do rather than those things I felt were right for me; things that brought a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment to my life. Seeking approval, trying to fit in, or promoting peace and harmony often guided my decisions or determined my actions. Rather than drawing from that sense of oughtness that dwells deep within, I would do whatever I was asked in order to obtain the “atta girl”.

Seeking Approval:

There were times in my life I would have given my right arm to have the approval of others. Thank goodness, the approval of the “good” crowd meant more to me than the approval of the “bad” crowd. Otherwise, my life might have taken a very negative turn. Being an over achiever I have often gone above and beyond to obtain the approval of people who sought me and my company only for the information I could provide or the work I could produce. That which they needed from me to make themselves look good. Therefore, even the “good” crowd had an agenda!

Trying to Fit In:

Everyone on the face of the earth has the desire to fit in…to belong! Oh the times I laughed at jokes I didn’t find humorous or the times I agreed with the crowed or group just to fit in. Wanting desperately to be one of the gang only to find I never really did…The “lunch bunch”, “girls shopping club” , “movie gang” or the weekend trips but, wait what takes place during those outings, what is discussed, or what do they represent?

Promoting Peace and Harmony:

Oh the times I caved just to keep peace! The times I stopped short of the goal…all for the sake of peace and harmony! Backing down or dropping the subject just because the conversation becomes uncomfortable or the other person kicks into a passive aggressive mode. Peace at all costs or is that peace at my cost?

God revealed to me through the book “Boundaries” that by establishing boundaries in my life the outcome has eternal value. I now seek God’s approval over the approval of others therefore, I am no longer responsible for others happiness or success. As for fitting in, I have discovered God’s protection on my reputation and integrity because I don’t fit into certain crowds. And finally, standing up for what is right and good brings all peace and harmony over my life.

While setting boundaries is not a perfected art for me…I am much better at it than I was 10 years ago!Knowing I am able to set boundaries, choose my battles, and stand for what is right at all cost gives me the assurance I have the approval of my Father, I fit in with Him, and His peace and harmony floods my being.

To learn more on how you too can learn to set boundaries I recommend the book “Boundaries” for you!

Love Lee ♥

Called to Lead

Sep15

No matter how good we are there is always someone who is better. So everywhere I’ve worked, I have always kept my eyes open for that person in hopes of finding a mentor. As I have gotten older and wiser I realize while it is important to have a mentor, it is better to have many mentors.

For some time now I have observed the different management and leadership styles in efforts to decide how to lead…tough decision until recently.

In addition to observing people, I also read a lot of motivational books. So as I was passing through the administration department, one of the books on the shelf caught my eye. The title was “Monday Morning Leadership” so I asked to borrow it. During my lunch break that day I started reading the book. I was captivated in the first paragraph! Below are some of the concepts I gleaned from “Monday Morning Leadership”.

“When it comes to leading people, there is no problem unique to you.”
“Even though your responsibilities increase when you become a manager, you lose some of the rights or freedoms you may have enjoyed in the past.”
“A real leader spends his or her time fixing the problem instead of finding who to blame.”
“When you write things down, you commit to doing them. If you simply tell me what you want to do, there is really no commitment to getting it done.”
“When you depend on another’s perceptions to match your expectations, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.”
“People quit people before they quit companies.”
“Take the time to manage your boss the same way you manage your subordinates.”
“One of the ‘main things’ for a leader is to eliminate confusion.”
“You have to escape from management land and get in touch with your people.”
“Your job is not to lower the bottom by adjusting for and accommodating the lowest performing employees. You should be raising the top by recognizing and rewarding superstar behaviors!”
“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy for you in fact sometimes it’s real hard, but just remember that doing the right thing is always right.”
“Everything you do matters because your team is watching and depending on you to do the right thing.”
“Guard your integrity as if it’s your most precious leadership possession, because that is what it is.”
“The most important thing you do as a leader is hire the right people.”
“Never lower your standards just to fill a position. You will pay for it later.”
“One of the major sources of stress, anxiety and unhappiness comes from feeling like your life is out of control.”
“If you want to make better use of your time, you need to be looking for the small increments of time; a minute here, five minutes there, etc.”
“You are the Chief Bucket-Filler and the best way to fill buckets is with excellent communication.”
“For you to be the very best, you cannot allow yourself to become complacent in your comfort zone. You need to be reaching for improvement.”
“So much of life is about attitude and how we handle what life throws our way. Life is good even when a situation appears to be the worst.